SENATE EXAMINES GREEN JOBS
News Date July 28, 2009
Climate change legislation continued to draw attention on Capitol Hill this week as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on Tuesday concerning the relationship between climate change legislation, jobs and economic growth. Senators heard testimony from the governors of Colorado, Washington, North Dakota and New Jersey, along with other local officials, concerning the impacts the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), climate change legislation which passed the House of Representatives last month, will have on their local economies.
Chairwoman Boxer (D-CA) stated that “we are facing two historic challenges today – the current recession, and the dangers of unchecked global warming.” “We have the opportunity to address both with a single solution that will create millions of clean energy jobs in America, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect our children and grandchildren from pollution.”
Critics of the climate change legislation acknowledged the fact that something needs to be done concerning climate change legislation, but are concerned about what affects new “green” jobs created by the bill would have on current jobs. The Honorable John Lowrey, a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, noted for the committee that passage of H.R. 2454, as it stands, would “destroy more jobs than it would create and that a cap and trade system would spell economic disaster.” Lowrey also stated that “rural America would perish” if Waxman-Markey was passed as it is currently worded. (By: Austin Miles, Policy Contact: David Hickey)